


Blackout

by Tallihensia



Category: Smallville
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-19
Updated: 2014-02-19
Packaged: 2018-01-13 01:11:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1207270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tallihensia/pseuds/Tallihensia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You've never been in a blackout?" Clark stared at his friend in disbelief.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blackout

**Author's Note:**

> For [Clexmas True Love](http://clexmas.livejournal.com/93197.html), cross-posted there.
> 
> Prompt: Blackout

## Blackout

"You've never been in a blackout?" Clark stared at his friend in disbelief. 

Lex shrugged. "Back-up generators, overlapping power-grids. Closest I've ever been are brown-outs, where the lights flicker for a bit."

"That's horrible!"

"Most people would think that's a good thing. No freezing, no danger of dying or catching cold, no food spoiling in the refrigerators..."

"And no fun!"

Raising his eyebrows, Lex purred, "Oh, one can have fun in the dark without losing power..."

Clark shot him an exasperated look. "Not that!" He thought about it. "Well, not only that."

Lex snickered.

"Okay, talking is never going to show you." Clark stood up. "Where's your circuit breaker?"

"You can't be serious." Lex didn't move from his seat.

"Oh, yes I am! But wait, first, you do have candles, right?" 

"Maybe not for that purpose, but yes, I do have some... We're still not doing this."

"Yes, we are." Clark glanced around then head out with a firm stride towards the back of the mansion.

With an amused sigh reflecting his conflicted emotions, Lex got up and followed. Otherwise he'd find himself in the dark, literally. How did Clark even know where the circuit breaker was? Lex himself had no clue...

He got there just in time. "Wait, Clark." 

Clark paused with his hand on the power panel. "Oh come on, Lex..." His voice turned pouting-wheedling. 

"I'm not saying no, Clark, just hold on a minute." Lex pulled out his phone. "I have to call security and tell them what's going on, or they're going to be coming in."

"Your security never comes and checks on anything." 

If Clark really didn't know why, he was oblivious. But then, Lex knew that. It was one of the things that both frustrated him and he really loved about his friend.

He finished talking with the guardhouse and closed the phone. "Okay." He paused. "My food isn't going to spoil, is it?"

"We're only going to have it off for an hour, Lex. Your food is going to be fine." Clark flipped the switch and the mansion went dark.

Lex stood there in the dark. He knew Clark was next to him, but he couldn't see him. More disturbing yet, he couldn't hear anything. Everything was silent. 

He'd wandered around in the dark before, but always by his choice, in areas he was exploring, with flashlight in hand. Speaking of which, "Clark, did you bring a flashlight?"

Clark snorted. "Nobody ever has a flashlight on them when a blackout happens. They're not exactly announced ahead of time, you know."

Lex sighed and waited.

Clark grabbed his hand. "Come on. Finding our way to the candles is part of it. Hands out in front so you don't run into anything, and slow steps."

One hand off to the side, the other still held in Clark's strong grip. Maybe there was something to this blackout stuff after all.

They made their way to the kitchen with some stumbling and giggling and unneeded whispers. The dark seemed to promote all of it, though it wasn't really any place different than it was before.

"Where are the candles?" Clark said once they finally got there. He still had hold of Lex's hand.

Lex took a moment to orientate himself in the room. There wasn't even any of the little yellow or red electrical lights that would be there if the lights were simply off. And the quiet was driving him nuts. With lights off, the refrigerator would still be humming, and there would be other little sounds. Now... nothing. Nothing but him and Clark.

"Upper left cupboard. In a blue box." Lex thought about that for a moment. "In a box," he amended. 

For the first time, Clark let go of Lex's hand while he rummaged for candles. Lex felt bereft. 

"Okay, got them. Now the matches."

Matches? Lex drew a total blank.

"So what do you normally light them with?" 

Lex could almost hear Clark's exasperation. He shrugged. "Lighter."

"So where's that?"

"My desk." Smoking wasn't one of his vices, but lighters were handy. "There's also the sparker for the fireplace."

"Okay." Clark handed him the box of candles, then rummaged a bit more. Lex wasn't sure what for.

They made their way into the study next, with less fumbling, though still with laughter.

Once there, Lex found the lighter easily and flicked it on while Clark lit one of the candles.

The sudden light after dark for so long made the single flame brighter than a star. And Clark's heavenly face shone behind it. Lex couldn't think of a more wonderful sight.

Clark got out the candle holders and dripped some wax into the base before affixing the first one. Then he lit three more from the first and set them in holders too. 

"We normally keep the candles with us, though we do sometimes put one in a room we go into often like the bathroom." Clark grinned.

"So we have our darkness, and now our light. What now? No tv, no radio, no entertainment..."

Clark looked at him with fond amusement. "You never watch tv unless I'm here. Or unless there's a news bulletin you want to watch. Pool doesn't exactly need electricity to play."

Lex acknowledged that. "It's too normal. And I imagine you're not going to let me get out my laptop..."

Clark snorted and shook his head. "At home, we play cards. You have a deck?"

It took a few minutes for Lex to find one, but he eventually produced it in triumph. 

They spent the next couple of hours playing cards by candlelight, with laughter and fun and friendship, and Lex learned to enjoy blackouts.

 

END


End file.
